Today sees the opening of the Abbey Meadow outdoor pool at 1pm for swimmers. The pool and changing areas are looking very smart after the £1.3million refurbishment, and there are lots of balloons.

The council held an official opening event this morning for invited guests. Abingdon Town Band were playing and refreshments were being served.

I was told that the council would be putting some pictures on their website for the use of the press. But, for now, here are a couple taken over the fence by a backstreet blogger.

June 16th sees the opening of the new outdoor swimming pool after a complete rebuild. The new pool has been filled with water and the heating system turned on to make sure it is working before the opening. The Abingdon Herald had a headline last week about the pool looking anaemic with just the white tiles showing, but it looks OK now that it is filled with water.

Beyond the blue pool flows the River Thames where two red barges are moored, and beyond them a meadow of buttercups.

For two months now, work has been progressing on the £1.3m rebuild of the Abbey Meadows Open Air Pool and changing area.

Currently the surrounds are looking very muddy, but the end result will be a pool that should last us for another sixty years (the current pool was dug in the 1950s). The revamped pool will have a beach area, a safer surface, and be heated more efficiently (the pool was first heated in the 1970s).

In the Abbey Gardens this summer there are not just the formal flower beds carpeted with flowers.

There is also an educational display put on by Edible Abingdon which people are encouraged to try at the right time.

This section has clear labels for Thyme, Ruby Chard, and Red Currant.

A bit further along are Climbing French Beans, Marjoram, Mangetout Peas, and Autumn Raspberry.

Apothecary gardens were grown in the Middle Ages by Benedictine monks who studied plants and their therapeutic uses. So the herbs are very fitting for the Abbey Gardens.